Live Fertile Principle #1: Fun Movement
Hi there! Welcome back for part 2 of the 8 part series all about the Live Fertile approach to fertility and overall wellbeing. I hope you enjoyed last week’s post. If you haven’t had a chance to read it, you can do so here.
This week, we’re exploring the first principle: fun movement.
When I say fun movement, I’m referring to any and all forms of physical movement. If your body is moving, that’s what I’m talking about. It can be structured or unstructured, planned or unplanned, or short spurts of spontaneous movement or long formal workout routines.
Many of my clients find it helpful to use the term movement rather than exercise or workout or physical activity. Those other terms make them think of dread and drudgery. It makes them think of torturous exercise they did in the past to beat their bodies into submission. Which instantly turns them off or makes them feel like they have to go hard or go home. Neither of which leads to sustainable changes or a happy healthy relationship with their bodies or movement.
Anyhow, semantics aside, our bodies and fertility benefit from regular movement. Our anatomy and physiology make it absolutely clear: we were designed to move. It’s just a matter of finding what you love to do and not allowing external pressures and rules to dictate what you’ll do.
Traditionally, blood flow to the reproductive organs and pelvis was something that was emphasized when someone began preparing to try to conceive. Makes sense intuitively, right? Fortunately, movement can increase circulation to all areas of the body, including the pelvis and its contents.
I could also tell you all about the research around fertility and exercise. How much is too much. How much is enough. And what type seems to be the most detrimental when taken to an extreme. But this series isn’t about blindly following the science. Don’t get me wrong, I love science (I have a bachelor of science degree in nutritional sciences with a double minor in biology and chemistry and a master of science degree in nutrition and public health to prove it). But, this series is all about you having a personal experience with what fertility and fertile mean to you, then making those words tangible by living them out. The goal is to literally embody fertility. And that my friend doesn’t come from knowing the rules and stats according to science. That comes from self-inquiry, mindfulness, and trusting your body to guide you wisely.
I know that can seem scary and unfamiliar. But it can also be liberating. (I do talk a bit about the science around fertility and fitness in the video below if you’re really curious.)
Want to begin to explore fun movement for fertility for yourself? Good. Let’s get into it.
Take a look at your responses to the journal prompts from last week (if you didn’t do the prompts from last week, you can do them here or quickly brainstorm three adjectives related to the word fertile).
When you look over your prompts or your adjectives, what forms of movement come to mind? Which types of movement align with your words or affirmation?
How do you imagine you would feel before, during, and after that form of movement?
How often would you like to do it?
What would you need to make that happen?
Example:
Adjectives: sensual, fluid, creative
When you look over your prompts or your adjectives, what forms of movement come to mind? Which types of movement align with your words or affirmation?
Belly dance, sensual floor work, salsa, flowy yoga
How do you imagine you would feel before, during, and after that form of movement?
Free, feminine, joyful
How often would you like to do it?
At least three times a week
What would you need to make that happen?
Buy knee pads for floor work, find youtube videos of more fluid/ sensual yoga sequences, challenge myself to flow through poses during home practice.
Need some ideas? Here’s a list of over 100 fun fitness ideas:
110 Ways to Stay Fit While Having Fun
Invert, fly, and overcome your fear of heights at an aerial yoga class.
Grab your helmet and go biking.
Be one with the water at a swimming pool, lake, river, or ocean. Just go swimming.
Stretch, tone, and breathe; take a yoga class.
A rousing game of chase
Play with kids
Walk a dog. It doesn't have to be yours to reap the benefits.
Go for a hike
Take a pilates class.
Gymnastics. Google "adult gymnastics or tumbling classes in my area" to find a class.
Golf. Carry your clubs and walk between holes instead of renting a cart.
Hop on a trampoline.
Go out dancing.
Belly dance
Adult Recess- swing from the monkey bars, play tetherball, just have fun.
Shoot some hoops
Play tennis, racquetball, or badminton (Fun fact: my mom was a state badminton champ in high school. I was not; we'll just leave it at that...)
Get your hands dirty by going outside to do some gardening
Window shop; burn a hole in your shoes, not your wallet.
Be a tourist in your city; go sightseeing
Aerobicize
Cheerlead. There are cheer-based workout popping up all over the place.
Shake and shimmy in a Zumba class
Row, row, row your boat. Go rowing.
Tendu, plie, and pirouett in a ballet class.
One word: Tango.
Jazz hands! Take a jazz dance class
Get your stomp on. Learn to tap dance.
Take your meditation on the road by going for a meditative walk. Kaiser Permanente and Health Journeys have some free guided meditations you can listen to while you walk. Download them here.
Try a scavenger hunt. The Bronx Zoo scavenger hunt was soo much fun. If you're ever in NYC, do it.
Combine your love for animals with a walk, walk around the zoo.
Be the change. Volunteer to plant trees.
Make it a better place for the little ones. Volunteer for playground or neighborhood clean-up.
Hit the slopes, go skiing, or snowboarding.
Or maybe try snowshoeing.
There's always sledding.
Take a trip down memory lane and roll down hills.
Spend the day walking around museums.
Play shuffleboard.
Take it old school and play hopscotch.
Jump rope or if you're more coordinated than my elementary school self, play double dutch.
Roll those hips and hula hoop.
Train for the circus by taking an aerial arts class.
So you think you can dance? Take a contemporary dance class or just turn on some Enya and sway...
Inline or quad skating
Ice skating
Skateboarding
Ride a scooter to work.
Go surfing.
Try paddleboarding.
Kick the ball around; play soccer.
Hockey, a sport I know nothing about.
Flag football can be fun.
Play baseball or t-ball.
Serve it like a champ, play volleyball.
Turn on music while cleaning your house and dance.
Practice chair yoga at your desk.
Rope your buddy or significant other into trying partner yoga with you.
Twerk, werk, and all that good stuff at a hip-hop dance class. Remind me to review Robin Dunn's class at Ailey. Amazing!
Get your heart pumping, Carnival-style with a samba class. You will sweat. You will smile.
Volunteer to be a part of a parade.
Do something good for our furry four-legged friends. Volunteer with an animal shelter to wash or walk the animals.
Wash your car with a friend or maybe even be a gem and wash your friend's car.
Have a water gun or water balloon fight.
Deep clean your garage.
Swing on a swing.
Slide down a slide (the ladder climb is where the real workout lies.)
Go to a water park.
Go to an amusement park.
Go to a carnival.
Walk around a farmers market.
Have a pillow fight.
Climb a tree.
Watch your favorite old music videos (thanks YouTube!) and try to do the choreography.
Have a dance break in the middle of the day just 'cuz.
Pay homage to the 80s and 90s by kicking around a hacky sack.
Play tag.
Throw (and catch) a frisbee.
Pick your own produce or flowers at a farm.
Score a deal and walk to your heart’s content at a large swap meet aka an outdoor bazaar aka a flea market.
Be a ninja and take on an obstacle course.
Play hide and seek.
Learn to fight back at a self-defense class.
Tie yourself in knots in a game of twister.
Sign up for a photography walk.
Register for an urban foraging class.
Take a walking tour of your city.
Fly through the air with ease on the flying trapeze.
Spin, climb, and body roll with the best of them at a pole dancing class.
Bring sexy back with a burlesque class.
Try ballet-inspired barre class.
Paint a room. Climbing up and down that ladder and using that roller is a serious workout.
Redecorating. Have you ever moved furniture? Seriously, it's hard.
Make snow angels.
Have a ball having a snowball fight.
Try tai chi (the most deceptively challenging class I have ever taken.)
Join an adult sports league.
Poke your friends in real life (does anyone actually use the poke feature on Facebook?) Try fencing.
Try any form of martial arts.
Burn off some steam with kickboxing.
Play an active video game.
Go for a jog (if you like that kind of thing.)
Go bowling.
Be a kid again and play kickball.
Round up your friends and play dodge ball.
Skip everywhere instead of walking (yes, you will look strange, but you will have so much fun!)
Try a new fitness class, any new class.
Balle balle! Take a Masala Bhangra class.
I’ll be back with a yoga sequence for fertility later this week. It will include some dance-inspired, fluid movement.
Until then…
Be well,
Kendra